A comment on my blog of yesterday reads: “It is very scary what is happening with this election. No matter who wins, half the country is going to be unhappy.” I find it interesting that when candidates won in the past, they would say that they had a mandate from the American people. It did not matter whether they won by 20% or by .005 %; they walked forward committed to everything they said in their campaign believing in this mandate. Here are three thoughts I have had about this:
– When one wins an election why is it that they feel compelled only to serve the portion of the population that voted for them? When our candidate loses, do we basically give up our citizenship until the next election?
– I cannot speak for other voters, but I have voted, sometimes, for the lesser of two evils. Or, more often, I have voted for someone I prefer but that does not mean I agree with every position they held. I would like it if they showed their gratitude for my vote by continuing to listen to my concerns.
– It is a little okay with me when public officials change their minds after they get into office. I expect that once they get there, they receive more information than they had when they were running for office. I want my representatives to be listeners and thinkers. What I wish, however, is for an official to explain why he or she changed their mind; what new information did they receive? Did their vote on an issue involve a compromise they had to make in order to achieve a higher good? Help me to understand this.
‘Nuff said. Thanks for listening. Thanks for the comments.